Luggage handle



May 8, 1956 w. FINKELSTEIN LUGGAGE HANDLE Filed Feb. 10, 1954 INVENTOR. I Mil/lam f7'nke/5Ie/n HHorney United States Patent LUGGAGE HANDLE William Finkelstein, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 10, 1954, Serial No. 409,299

1 Claim. (Cl. 190-58) My invention relates to handles and more particularly relates to handles for luggage, bags, handbags, suitcases, etc. The invention particularly relates to a method of securing the handle to the article to which it is attached.

In the prior art devices there has been found difficulty in making a satisfactory attachment of the handle securing means to the frame of the bag, this difliculty necessitated the use of many parts and laborsome methods of attachment.

I have been able to devise a relatively simple means of attachment comprised of four simple sturdy parts that are readily attached to the frame of the bag, and a securing means that permits the handle to be in an upright position when it is being used to carry the bag and to lie flat on the top of the bag when not in use.

It is, therefore, an objectof my invention to provide a flat lying sturdy handle that rotates on its securing means on an axis parallel to the length of the handle.

Another object of my invention is to provide a handle securing means that is sturdy and which can be attached to the luggage by simply bending elongated extensions of the securing means after they have passed through holes in the luggage frame.

Another object of my invention is to provide a base plate for the handle securing means to lend support and to definitely position the securing means.

Other objects of my invention are to provide an improved device of the characer described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efiicient in application.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in the following details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a luggage handle showing the securing means which embodies the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the handle taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the base plate for the handle securing means.

Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the handle securing means.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the handle showing the securing means as applied to a luggage having a metal frame.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, I disclose a luggage handle, generally designated H, integrally formed of a metal stamping the metal stamping 10 of the handle is blanked and formed from a single sheet of metal so that it provides the shape for the handle H. The metal stamping 10 is covered with a covering material 11 ICC such as leather, fabric, or plastic; it is then bent so that the edges 12-12 and 13-13 of the .metal come adjacent to each other and the resulting loops 14-14 formed on the lower ends of the handle interfit with the handle securing means 15-15. It will be observed also that the handle is free to rotate on the securing means 15-15; thus making it possible to lay the handle down on the top of the luggage when not in use.

Where the edges 12-12 of the metal stamping 10 come together along the top of the handle a preformed insert 30 is clamped between the edges 12-12 to complete the closure of the handle form at the top and to provide a neat and substantial closure. A fragmental isometric view of the insert 30 is shown in Fig. 6.

The handle securing unit 15, made from round metal rod is shaped in the form of an inverted U. The downwardly extending arms or legs 16-16 are round for a portion 17-17 of their length and semi-round 18-18 for the remainder of their length. The semi-round or semi-circular portions 18-18 of the handle securing means 15 have the flat chord portions face one another and are arranged to interfit with semi-circular holes 21-21 in the securing unit base plate 20.

In order to attach the handle H to a piece of luggage one securing unit 15 is placed through one loop 14 at the end of the handle H, then the base plate 20 is pushed so that its openings 21, 21 pass over the legs 18-18 of the securing unit until shoulders 22 on the legs rest upon the base plate. The whole assembly is then arranged so that the semi-round portions of the handle securing units 15-15 pass through previously drilled holes 19-19-19-19 in the luggage frame and the semi round portions 18 of the handle securing units 15 are bent over to definitely secure the handle to the luggage frame.

Definite space relationship is maintained between the handle securing unit 15 and the securing unit base plate 20 by the shoulder 22 on the downwardly extending arms 16-16 of the handle securing unit. This shoulder 22 occurs where the downwardly extending arms 16 change from round to semi-round form. The shoulder 22 engages the top of the securing unit base plate adjacent to the semi-circular holes 21-21 in the base plate 20.

A portion of the base plate 20 for one of the handle securing units 15 has been shown removed in Fig. 1 to illustrate the interfitting of a shoulder 22 and the top of the base plate 20.

In an alternate application, as shown in Fig. 5, the handle securing unit 15 has its downwardly extending semi-round portions 18-18 extending through previously drilled holes 19A in a metal channel member 40 of a luggage frame, where they are bent over to secure the handle securing unit to the luggage frame.

A second smaller channel section 40A provides a finish over the bent ends of the handle securing unit. The metal channel member 40 of the luggage frame may have an outside covering 41 with the ends thereof lying within the interior of the channel and then the small channel section 40A has its legs abut against the ends of the covering 41.

Thus it is seen that my invention provides a simple and substantial securing means for a luggage handle which may be easily and quickly applied.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such descripiton is intended as illustrative, rather than as limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed. 1

I claim as my invention:

A luggage handle and a luggage handle securing means for joining said handle to a piece of luggage comprised of an inverted U-shaped rod member, said handle pivotally mounted upon said securing means, a base plate having two semi-circular openings therein and being adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the luggage, downwardly extending leg portions of said inverted U-shaped rod member being circular for a portion of their length and semi-circular for the remainder of their length, said semicircular leg portions being adapted and arranged to interfit with said semi-circular holes in said base plate member and being adapted to extend through holes in a. luggage frame and to be bent over on the underside of said frame, and said semi-circular leg portions having the flat chord portions facing one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

